Should Respect decide to field Yvonne Ridley as their candidate for the forthcoming by-election the once impregnable 10,000 Labour majority may well be at risk for the first time in many generations.

I raised the issue of Respect taking soundings of its chances in Rotherham weeks ago, well before the downfall of MacShane, the reception from disenfranchised voters was encouraging.

The feedback I had from individuals who stopped to listen was that their message was taken onboard by all sections of the community.

Yvonne Ridley is a formidable individual with the fire in her belly to stir up the voters, for far too long Labour has taken its Northern power base for granted, the Town’s MP has been a disgrace, Labour Councillors have made RMBC a laughing stock, she will be pushing against an open door when it comes to encouraging voters to move away from Labour.

Who knows, a new Respect MP followed in the local elections of Respect Councillors in Rotherham East, West and Boston Castle?

It would be ironic that one of the key officials in the Rotherham child abuse scandal manages to get elected to a £80,000 a year post and the official Labour by-election candidate fails to win the seat because of a range of factors including the child abuse scandal.

I think that’s the last thing Rotherham needs……George Galloway/Respect are a sideshow on a different mission. I don’t think they have the well being of Rotherham and its people at the top of their list.

Worst fears look to be confirmed, a split, diluted opposition to a Labour candidate – will that just be a helping hand to Labour?

LOL isn’t that what they have done for years :-) I can’t see that changing even with the current feeling towards them.

As i’ve said there are those that will vote Labour no matter what, probably don’t show that much interest in local issues and just tick the Labour box – no matter who it is or whether they are a local candidate or someone foisted on Rotherham by the Labour hierarchy.

Respect campaign will without question focus on Macshane and his pro-israel and pro-zionist views linked in with his criminal expenses scandal. Also the war i Iraq and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and support for the Palestinian plight will feature heavily. Therefore they will be relying on the block Muslim vote. Now Rotherham is very different to Bradford west with the Muslim electorate a mere 4500. That alone would not be enough for Respect. However what Galloway also does not seem to no is that if Mahroof is selected for Labour, he too has exactly the same views on foreign policy as Respect. Also Mahroof is extremely popular amongst the Muslim vote who will be unlikely to abandon Labour if he is the candidate. So Rotherham is quite a bit different to Bradford west so I dont think Respect are likely to win the Muslim vote here. What i think is more likely that Respect will split the Labour vote, more so if Mahroof is not the candidate which could mean that UKIP have a very good chance of sneaking in through the back door or even dare i say the BNP. I would imagine UKIP would be better placed to capitalise on any split vote on the left, as they polled extremely well in the local elections, and much better than the Tories in some seats such as Boston Castle.

For people who allegedly campaign for fairness and equality, those who use such stupid and thoughtless phrases really do know how to split communities. ‘Block Champayne Sewshalist Commissars vote’- LOL!!!

I just can’t wait for George Galloway and/or Yvonne Ridley to come and speak at some community venue or event here in Rotherham :-)

If anyone knows, or gets wind, of such an event or an invite for George and Yvonne to come to Rotherham then please share it with all those RothPol active and empowered readers who have prayed for a Messiah to deliver us from the RMBC Laybah Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns :-)

This document was obtained in only a matter of minutes from RMBC planning archives, ref no – RB2012/1433.

If this is the same venue to which Peter Baker alludes, then I can only admire and congratulate the brothers and sisters of this masjid on their canny interest in politics in Rotherham.

If it’s true that Respect have been invited here then I am sure that the 15 RMBC Elected Members of the Planning Board will not let the fact that a political rival like George Galloway has visited Rotherham influence or sway their opinion from their impartial and lawful duty.

Of course, if a rejection of the planning application were to be made, then it may inevitably lead to a further significant loss of respect and trust in the impartiality of Rotherham Labour and RMBC.

I do hope the planning application is granted, how odd it would look if it was rejected following the invite to Respect.
I am sure no one from any political party would wish to hinder the application or even stop
Respect from going to speak at the mosque.
I would hope that if it was rejected there would be an external investigation into the decision making process, nothing like good honest and open transparency when it comes to planning matters.

Strong arm tactics to stop a legitimate political organisation meeting voters?
Surely no one could be that stupid to even think about applying pressure to stop Respect from engaging with the residents of Rotherham.
If they even tried I am sure someone from the host organisation or Respect would speak out and name and shame anyone trying to stop a healthy political debate.

Just been reading the last few posts on here and TBH even I’m shocked and amazed at the secretive, and maybe illegal, nature of just how potentially corrupt is the Rovrum Laybah Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns in the application of their legal duties.

What I’ve read above makes a complete and utter mockery of the statement which is at the bottom of every RMBC Councillors’ webpage – “Councillors will represent you regardless of political persuasion”.

Perhaps it’s time to add the rider – “unless your mosque or other town premises invites a legal political party of who Rovrum Laybah doesn’t like”.

Perhaps those deep within Town Hall Towers/Lubyanka don’t/can’t remember the T Dan Smith and Poulson affair of the 70s.

They should do because it tainted the infamous Doncaster Borough nearby and a high-profile Mexborough man and councillor was convicted and banged up on account of his neck-deep involvement in the dishonesty, fraud and corruption.

Let George Galloway and/or Yvonne Ridley come to our town, with an invite from whoever wants to hear their views and policies. Rovrum Laybah must be running more scared of Respect than I had previously imagined. They’ve obviously been in power now for so long without effective challenge and scrutiny that they have become arrogant in their assumption that the power to govern us is theirs by right and default.

Let Respect come to Rotherham.

Let them speak so our citizens can hear their views and policies.

Let RMBC Laybah Members on the Planning Committee dare to reject the planning application, cos that’s just the start of their troubles and woes.

The active and empowered citizens are now alert and aware of the deviousness of those RMBC Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns who receive more dosh than Sheffield City Councillors and they need to be reminded of their legal obligation in respect of “Councillors will represent you regardless of political persuasion”.

I don’t think Respect stand any chance of electoral success in Rotherham and courting the local Asian population is futile. IEven if every Asian voter in the constituency were to vote Respect it still wouldn’t give them victory. I personally wouldn’t want a Respect MP in our town nor would I vote for them but I regret that there is just too much Islamophobia within the town for Yvonne Ridley to be elected. Sad but true.